The gory history of barber surgeons - Stephanie Honchell Smith

Trace the history of barber-surgeons, and find out what led to barbers performing medical procedures in medieval Europe.

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It’s a cold morning in 15th century France and you’re off to the barber for a shave and haircut. You hear the familiar sound of singing inside and eye a bowl of blood in the window. You grab a cup of ale and examine the array of teeth strung from the walls. Suddenly, a scream sounds from one of the chairs. What's going on? Stephanie Honchell Smith shares the surprising history of barber-surgeons.

Lesson by Stephanie Honchell Smith, directed by Arvind Singh Jeena, Anantha Krishnan, Totem Creative.